Community and School Gardens
in Sarasota
Sustainable Community Partners
March 3, 2014
History
• European shared vegetable
gardens date back for
centuries.
• Detroit claims the oldest
gardens in America, known
as “Potato Patches.” Created
to help the unemployed
during the economic
depression in c. 1890.
• Liberty Gardens became
crucial for public food supply
during WWI, followed by
Victory Gardens in WWII.
Benefits and Popular Types of
Community Gardens
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Social
Physical
Economic
Therapeutic
Educational
Nutrition
• Food Banks
• Churches
• Seniors/ Assisted Living
Facilities
• Hospitals
• Schools/Colleges
• Government Buildings
• Parks
Services Provided by UF/IFAS Extension
Administrative & Budgetary Oversight
Annual Plot Renewal Process
Enforcement of Rules/ Termination
Wait list Management
Coordination with County & City staff (Parks and other depts.)
Access to UF research and workshops on edible topics such as
fertilizers, pesticides, growing seasons, cover crops and more
• Consistency with other gardens
• Media announcements
• Grant and volunteer connections
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Sarasota’s Community Gardens in Order of Creation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Orange Blossom (originally in
Rosemary District, later
relocated to Orange Avenue
Park.
Bayou Oaks
Laurel
Nokomis
North Port
Englewood
Culverhouse
Bee Ridge
Nokomis Park Community Garden
Englewood Community Garden
Culverhouse Community Garden
School Gardens in Sarasota
School gardens provide
countless ways to engage
and motivate students
with hands-on learning
opportunities. Many
gardens currently exist at
both public and private
schools in Sarasota, due
to the efforts of dedicated
teachers, parents and
volunteers.
School Gardens in Sarasota County
Elementary Schools
Wilkinson
New Gate Montessori
Alta Vista
Bay Haven School of Basics Oak Park
Southside
Brentwood
Temple Beth Shalom
Emma E. Booker
Venice
Englewood
Fruitville
Garden
Glenallen
Gocio
Island Village Montessori
Gulf Gate
Lamarque Elementary
Toledo Blade
Laurel Nokomis
Pine View
Taylor Ranch
Middle Schools
Booker
Brookside
McIntosh
Out-of-Door Academy
Phoenix Academy
Sarasota
Venice/Oak Park South
High Schools
Riverview
Suncoast Polytech
Venice
Preschools
The Cottages
Community Haven / Selby
Children First
Noah’s Ark
Summer Camps
Sarasota YMCA
Janie’s Garden
School Gardens - History
• During WWI and WWII,
school gardens were
used as a food source
due to scarce supplies.
• Schools were integrated
in government
programs by teaching
14,000 children
gardening skills.
Mrs. Henry Parsons, the founder of the school farm in DeWitt
Clinton Park, New York, wrote in her c. 1904 report:
“ I did not start a garden simply to grow a few vegetables
and flowers. The garden was used as a means to show how
willing and anxious children are to work, and to teach
them in their work some necessary civic virtues; private
care of public property, economy, honesty, application,
concentration, self-government, civic pride, justice, the
dignity of labor, and the love of nature by opening to their
minds the little we know of her mysteries, more wonderful
than any fairy tale.”
Subject Areas
 Science
 Mathematics
 Nutrition
 Geometry
 Culinary Arts
 Special Needs/
Therapies
 Economics
 Physical Education
 English
 Reading
 Art
 Florida Agriculture
 Natural Resources
 Social Studies
 Botany
 History
Types of Established Gardens
 Edibles
 Wildlife
 Native Plants/
Ecosystems
 Butterfly
 Flowers
 Memorial
 Themes
Varying Complexities
Simple - a few earthboxes or containers,
planting seeds in small pots
Raised beds - 5’ X 5’ kits- easy to assemble
Complex – ½ acre in size, experimental
projects, hydroponics, Audobon grants,
growing food for cafeterias
Simple
Complex
Obstacles
 Time
 Maintenance - Don’t rely on your
facilities staff and don’t create problems
for them!
 Watering schedule
 Closing the garden for summer/winter
breaks
 Lack of experience
 Pest management
 Lack of support from principal
 Lack of parent involvement
 Ongoing funds and efforts are needed
Salsa Garden Project
Timeframes:
Oct - Dec:
Planning
Schools / Participants selected
January:
Pretest
Seed starting indoors, watering
MG grant funding approved
Purchase supplies
February:
Raised bed construction
Fill with soil
Transplant seeds and starters after frost
Mar/Apr:
Care for plants, watch them grow
MG lessons
May:
Cinco de Mayo, harvest celebration
Post Test
Cover gardens for summer
August:
Start up again with stone soup recipe
Ongoing:
Twitter/Facebook campaign
MG growing advice
Student Involvement
March and April:
Garden Related Curriculum
Salsa Garden Lessons
 Seed Starting
&Transplanting
 Garden Construction
 Propagation
 Soils/Photosynthesis
 Food Art
 Butterflies & Insects
 Water
 Harvest/Nutrition
 Putting the Garden to
Bed
May: Harvest
End Result: Student Impact
• Improved classroom
behavior
• High test scores
• Increased willingness to
try healthy foods
• Increased knowledge of
vegetable gardening
• Teachers, students,
principles, Master
Gardeners love it!
Salsa Garden Supplies
4’ X 8’ Raised Garden Bed Kits (2)
Garden Tools, Gloves and Wheelbarrow
Heavy Duty Garden Hose, Squirter Nozzle, Watering Cans
Soil – 4 Cubic Yards, Fertilizer and Compost
Mulch
Seeds and Starter Plants (for both salsa and stone soup recipes)
Seed-starting Potting Trays (3)
Plastic Drop Sheets
Recycled Cardboard Boxes and/or Newspaper
Estimated Total:
*Quantities, type of materials and resulting cost will vary
$159.94
$158.52
$ 46.54
$168.00
$ 86.86
$ 51.32
$ 10.00
$ 5.00
$ 0.00
$686.18
Resources
UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County: Our website offers
information on 4-H programs, the Master Gardener Help
Desk, and a wealth of classes on a variety of gardening topics.
http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu
Curriculum and Activities:
Gardening for Grades (developed by Florida Ag in the Classroom)
connects Sunshine Standards to gardening related lesson
plans. Free copies are available to teachers at: www.agtag.org
Junior Master Gardener Handbook and Teacher Guide,
developed by Texas A& M Extension/ Master Gardeners:
http://www.jmgkids.us/
http://www.ticketsarasota.com/20
14/02/03/sarasota-grown/
Any questions?
Stacy Spriggs
UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County
Community & School Gardens Coordinator
861-9815
[email protected]